Dynamic binding of network services

• US 7,281,038 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Redback Networks Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Salkewicz, William
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/020,388
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/249, 709/207, 709/228, 709/236, 709/214, 718/100, 718/106, 379/201, 717/114, 717/330, 700/83, 700/100, 707/3, 716/8, 719/313, 370/216, 370/389, 370/338
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamic binding of network services is described. A network device comprises at least one processor, memory, I/O, and at least one virtual network machine in the memory, said at least one virtual network machine including a first network interface, a first sub-interface data structure in the memory, and a first binding data structure in the memory which binds the first network interface to the first sub-interface data structure.

Claims

1. A method of creating links between multiple subscriber end stations and multiple network domains comprising:

providing a network device including an electronic memory encoded with multiple respective virtual routers, each of said respective virtual includes respective control information to forward data within a respective network domain, said each of respective virtual routers respectively including at least one respective network interface for the respective network domain;

providing respective subscriber records in an electronic memory that include respective information as to network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers can access;

providing multiple respective sub-interface data structures in the electronic memory respectively associated with respective subscribers;

searching respective subscriber records to identify respective network domains that may be accessed by a respective subscriber end station of a respective subscriber; and

creating respective binding data structures that respectively bind respective sub-interface data structures respectively associated with respective subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains identified from searching respective subscriber records.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing respective subscriber authentication information and respective subscriber authorization information in respective subscriber records;

providing subscriber authentication and authorization services; and

authenticating and authorizing subscriber access to respective network domains using respective subscriber records and the subscriber authentication and authorization services.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein,

the multiple respective sub-interface data structures include multiple respective virtual circuits.

4. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing in respective subscriber records multiple possible network domain binding options for a respective subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein,

information in respective subscriber records identify multiple respective possible network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers may be bound;

and

information in respective subscriber records provide respective criteria for selecting between multiple respective network domains for a respective subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically binding subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains with the respective binding data structure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

changing the binding of one of the subscribers to a different one of the network interfaces for a different one of the network domains, where in the change is based on the one subscriber'"'"'s subscriber record.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the binding change is based on time of day.

9. A subscriber management system comprising:

a network device including an electronic memory encoded with multiple respective virtual routers in the memory, each of said respective virtual routers includes respective control information to forward data within a respective network domain, said each of respective virtual routers respectively including at least one respective network interface to the respective network domain;

respective subscriber records in an electronic memory that include respective information as to network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers are bound;

multiple respective sub-interface data structures in the electronic memory respectively associated with respective subscribers;

a computer program in electronic memory that searches respective subscriber records to identify respective network domains that may be accessed by respective subscriber ends stations of respective subscribers; and

respective binding data structures that respectively bind respective sub-interface data structures associated with respective subscribers to respective network interfaces to respective network domains identified from searching respective subscriber records.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein,

information in respective subscriber records identify multiple respective possible network domains to which respective subscriber end stations of respective subscribers may be bound;

and

information in respective subscriber records provide respective criteria for selecting between multiple respective network domains for respective subscribers.

11. The system of claim 9, further including:

respective subscriber authentication information and respective subscriber authorization information in respective subscriber records,

wherein the computer program further includes subscriber authentication and authorization services; and

authenticating and authorizing subscriber access to respective network domains using respective subscriber records and the subscriber authentication and authorization services.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer program further comprises:

dynamically binding subscribers to respective network interfaces for respective network domains with the respective binding data structure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises:

changing the binding of one of the subscribers to a different one of the network interfaces for a different one of the network domains, where in the change is based on the one subscriber'"'"'s subscriber record.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the binding change is based on time of day.